The Frascati Manual is a document setting forth the methodology for collecting statistics about research and development. The Manual was prepared and published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
In June 1963, OECD experts met with the NESTI group (National Experts on Science and Technology Indicators) at the Villa Falconieri in Frascati, Italy. The result of their work, which was based on a background document prepared by Christopher Freeman, was the first version of Frascati Manual, which is officially known as The Proposed Standard Practice for Surveys of Research and Experimental Development. Since then it has been revised several times. In 2002 the 6th edition was published.
The manual sets forth fundamental definitions for: basic research, applied research, Research and development; research personnel: researchers, technicians, auxiliary personnel. It also organizes Field of science into main and sub-categories.
It primarily deals with measuring the resources devoted to R&D – expenditure and personnel – in the performing sectors: higher education, government, business, private non-profit organisations.
The Frascati Manual is very important for understanding the role of science and technology in economic development. The definitions provided in this document became internationally accepted and serve as a common language for discussions of science and technology policy. Originally an OECD standard, it has become an acknowledged standard in R&D studies all over the world and is widely used by various organisations associated with the United Nations and European Union.
Over the past 40 years, the NESTI group has developed a series of documents, known as "Frascati Family", that includes manuals on R&D (Frascati Manual), innovation (Oslo Manual), human resources (Canberra Manual), technology balance of payments and patents as science and technology indicators.
Read more about Frascati Manual: Three Forms of Research
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